Thursday Ride – 8th August 2013

The day started out well – and even got better. A cool start & three omnicycles, Ken, Barry & Nick headed out from Marngrook oval at sometime after 8 o’clock after Ken left a trail of police mayhem at the corner of Chute St. Picked up another three omnicycles, Bruce, Lindsay & Leon around 8.30 am at the Eltham station and headed off for coffee at Heidelberg. Bruce, seemingly smarting from being taken to task by the local lollipop lady, decided to take it out on a couple of harmless little pooches who just wanted to play with his front wheel and, being very attached to his bicycle it was a classic case of “MAN BITES DOG” – or actually in this instance it was two dogs and the owner!

Anyway, after that, the riders settled down to a standard ride on an unusually wet and muddy track though the day continued to improve and encountered no untoward incidents until Leon & Nick decided to take the dry weather short cut ( which was not dry) and ended up doing a bit of mudlarking.

Rather mud spattered, the team arrived in Burgundy St for coffee and donuts, which was the usual congenial half hour, after Ken had talked a couple of patrons out of their seats and an energy canvasser into believing that his product was not the best deal in town. At this point we dropped off Ken – to return early for an appointment, and Bruce, who headed on to Thornbury for grandfatherly duties.

….then there were four. The going was good on the ride home, the sun was getting warmer and Leon and Nick prudently bypassed the ‘short cut’. Well – some said it wouldn’t be a typical ride if Nick didn’t have to fix a flat tyre – well guess what? .. he did! Fortunately it was not his own (for a change) as, on passing a lonely fellow cyclist, seemingly in trouble at the side of the track, he stopped to enquire if assistance was needed. The unfortunate fellow turned out to be a French cardiology surgeon on vacation and visiting his brother in Templestow, had borrowed his brother’s bike and set off for a 3 hour ride with no water, spare inner tube, puncture kit or tools. Eventually patched up and with great relief that he’s been saved a 10 kilometer walk home ( and no – Nick didn’t ask for a heart check up ) we wished him ‘ au revoire et bon chance’ and watched him return the way he’d come.

…. said cheers to Lindsay and Leon at Eltham … and then there were two .. to complete the journey back to Dimo.

… a fairly typical ride…I guess?